Pope Francis' memory lives on at Lockleys
Local
Lockleys Catholic parish has found a special way to honour Pope Francis and his commitment to ecological conversion as expressed in his encyclical Laudato Si’.
Parishioners are being invited to make a financial contribution to cover the cost of 27 solar panels and a battery storage system recently installed on the parish hall adjacent to Christ the King Church.
The panels were installed on the day Pope Francis died, April 21.
“So there’s a very clear connection between Pope Francis and Laudato Si’ with the parish wanting to become more ecologically sustainable,” said parish priest Fr Michael Trainor.
With each panel costing $6000, parishioners can sponsor one panel for $600 or contribute $60 for part of a panel. They can also nominate a beloved deceased as part of the sponsorship.
“We will honour those contributions in some way,” Fr Trainor said.
“Eventually the solar panels will be cost-saving for the parish but it’s about sustainability as well.”
The parish received a $5000 grant from the West Torrens Council.
Other ecological initiatives at Lockleys include the installation of energy-efficient lighting in the church and there are plans for water recycling tanks.
Referring to an article about a Vatican project to reduce the environmental impact of the basilica, which receives an average of 45,000 visitors daily, Fr Trainor said “they are following us”.
